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Yemen Suicide Blast Kills 20Yemeni officials say a suicide bomber killed at least 20 people when he blew himself up in the middle of a group of soldiers practicing for a military parade. Officials said Monday's attack in the capital, Sanaa, wounded scores of others. The soldiers were preparing for a parade on Tuesday to mark Yemen's unification of the north and the south. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Yemen is home to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which is known as one of ...
voanews.com | 21-May-2012 11:51
2 Killed in Latest Syria-Related Clashes in Lebanon
Lebanese officials say heavy clashes have killed at least two people in Beirut, increasing fears that the conflict in Syria is spilling into its western neighbor. Officials said gunman clashed in the capital's Tariq al-Jadideh district Monday. Fighters cut off roadways and and fired machine guns early into the morning. The violence between Lebanese Alawites supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Sunni Muslims sympathetic to the Syrian opposition comes a day after Lebanese ...
voanews.com | 21-May-2012 11:10
Annular Eclipse Makes 'Ring of Fire'
If you live in a band across the southwestern United States , twilight likely seemed to come early this afternoon, well before the sun actually sets, thanks to a rare annular eclipse.
ABC News | 21-May-2012 05:27
Activists Urge NATO to Protect Afghan Women's Rights
CHICAGO - As world leaders gather in Chicago to discuss the future of Afghanistan, human rights groups say Afghan women are being left out of the conversation. Afghan activists say they fear gains made in women's rights since the fall of the Taliban will be erased after foreign troops leave the war-torn country. Like so many Afghans, Manizha Naderi has concerns about the fate of her country after 2014, when international forces complete their withdrawal from ...
voanews.com | 21-May-2012 03:59
No Meeting With Obama for Pakistan's President
CHICAGO - Hopes for a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit bringing together the U.S., Afghan and Pakistani presidents appear to have dimmed, and analysts say this is due to the lack of a full agreement with Pakistan on reopening NATO supply lines into Afghanistan. President Barack Obama met on Sunday in Chicago with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, but his schedule includes no one-on-one interaction with Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, and White House ...
voanews.com | 21-May-2012 03:41
Mali Interim President to Lead Post-coup Transition
Mali’s military junta has agreed with the Economic Community of West African States to allow interim president Dioncounda Traore to lead the country’s post-coup transitional process. The agreement, just two days before the 40-day transition period prescribed by Mali's constitution was set to expire, also gives coup leader Captain Amadou Sanogo all the benefits and privileges of a former head of state. Hamadoune Toure, Mali’s communication minister and government spokesman, says he ...
voanews.com | 21-May-2012 02:56
Disco Era Icon Robin Gibb Dies of Cancer at 62
British singer Robin Gibb, an iconic voice of the disco era of the 1970s, died Sunday in London after a long fight against cancer. He was 62 years old. Gibb and his brothers Barry and Maurice formed their band, appropriately named the Bee Gees, for the Brothers Gibb, in the late 1950s. The band was a success. But the brothers did not become global superstars until disco was born in the mid 1970s, becoming the defining sound of the era. ...
voanews.com | 21-May-2012 02:14
Checklist Improves Health Practices in Childbirth
More women die in the developing world from complications during pregnancy and childbirth than from any other cause, according to the World Health Organization. But, a group of scientists thinks it can change that with the help of a simple paper checklist. “We know when they’re dying – most deaths are clustered right around the time of birth for both moms and babies,” said Jonathan Spector, a research scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health, “and we know what they’re dying ...
voanews.com | 21-May-2012 01:27
River Blindness Spread Believed Stopped Sudan Area
When the government of Sudan decided to ramp up efforts to eradicate river blindness, they looked to the nation’s women. This month the country’s Ministry of Health announced the strategy appears to have worked in at least one region, Abu Hamad. The key innovation to eliminating the disease was when the government decided to include women and families in distributing drug treatments, said partner aid agency The Carter Center. When the new program was introduced in 2006, 100 percent of the ...
voanews.com | 21-May-2012 00:10
What World War II Can Teach Us About Climate Change
Downplaying or ignoring a coming catastrophe won't make it go away.
ABC News | 20-May-2012 22:31
Somali Capital Experiences Post-Shabab Building Boom
MOGADISHU - Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, is experiencing something of a building boom. After throwing off the shackles of al-Qaida-linked radicals, its citizens have begun carting away the rubble and repairing the damage of two decades as Africa's worst failed state. Eight months ago, Mogadishu's bombed out parliament building was a symbol of 20-years of anarchy. Today, it is under reconstruction to house a new legislature expected to be ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 21:37
Gadgets: Illuminating Speaker Dock
ABC News' gadget roundup this week features an illuminating speaker, carbon fiber ThinkPad ultrabook, and a new Sony camera. Click through for more exciting gadget picks this week.
ABC News | 20-May-2012 21:22
Israel Says African Migrants Pose Growing Threat
JERUSALEM - There is growing concern in Israel about an influx of tens of thousands of migrants from Africa. The flood of illegal African migrants entering Israel topped the agenda at the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the migrants are “threatening the fabric of Israeli society, its national security and its national identity.” The issue has become the center of a heated national debate, after a series of violent crimes and ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 18:54
Convicted Lockerbie Bomber Dies After Cancer Battle
A former Libyan intelligence officer convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has died of cancer in Tripoli, nearly three years after Scottish authorities released him from prison on compassionate grounds. Abdel Baset al-Megrahi died at his home Sunday at the age of 60. He was the only man convicted of the Pan Am Flight 103 attack that destroyed a U.S. passenger jet over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 270 people, 11 of them on the ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 17:24
Facebook Founder's Status Updated to 'Married'
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has married longtime girlfriend Priscilla Chan, and he used his social networking site to publicly announce the special occasion. The 28-year-old billionaire married Chan in a small ceremony Saturday in Palo Alto, California one day after he took his company public in one of the most anticipated stock offerings in Wall Street History. Guests authorized to speak to the press said those attending thought they were going to the venue to celebrate ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 17:00
Mark Zuckerberg's Status Update: Married
Newly minted billionaire Mark Zuckerberg had an important status update Saturday evening: Married. The 28-year-old tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, the recently graduated Dr. Priscilla Chen in a private ceremony at the couple's home in Palo Alto, Calif.
ABC News | 20-May-2012 16:29
Sudan Releases Captured Foreigners
Sudan has released four foreigners who were detained last month in the disputed Heglig region and accused of spying for South Sudan. The defense ministry handed the four on Sunday to former South African president and African Union mediator Thabo Mbeki. The four appeared to be in good health during a ceremony in Khartoum, which took place one day after Mr. Mbeki met with President Omar al-Bashir. The mediator is working to convince ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 16:06
Nationalist Wins Serbian Presidency in Runoff
Serbian President Boris Tadic has conceded defeat in the runoff presidential election against nationalist opposition candidate Tomislav Nikolic. Unofficial results give Nikolic 50 percent of the vote and President Tadic 47 percent. Turnout was less than half of all registered voters with some voters saying they did not like either candidate. Tadic congratulated his opponent and urged him to keep Serbia on the path towards ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 15:47
Taiwan President Pledges Close Ties With China
TAIPEI - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou began his second term in office on Sunday with a forecast for deeper relations with old rival China. But he said a formal peace accord was not urgent. His comments came amid two days of street demonstrations. The Taiwanese president, who was first elected in 2008 on pledges to ease tension with rising military power China, said he would stick to that course. President Ma Ying-jeou said he expected more deals like the 16 trade, transit and ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 15:02
Italian Quake Kills 6, Historic Buildings Destroyed
A 6.0 magnitude earthquake shook northern Italy before dawn Sunday, killing at least six people and destroying centuries-old buildings and churches across the region. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was centered about 35 kilometers northwest of Bologna. It struck about 4 a.m. local time, sending panic-stricken residents running into the streets. A series of aftershocks followed. The strongest was 5.1 magnitude. Many of those ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 14:18
Activists: Syrian Troops Kill 34 People in Hama
A Syrian rights group says security forces have attacked a rebellious town in the country's central province of Hama, killing 34 people including children. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says government artillery and gunfire hit the town of Souran on Sunday. There was no independent confirmation of the casualties. Elsewhere, a roadside bomb exploded near a team of U.N. officials and journalists who were touring the Douma suburb of Damascus. No one was hurt ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 13:56
Obama: World is Behind Strategy for Afghanistan
CHICAGO - U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Chicago on Sunday, reaffirming a shared vision of creating a secure and stable Afghanistan. Mr. Obama referred to what he called the "broad consensus" of the International Security Assistance Force on a complete transition to Afghan-led security, and the need for continuing international support. "Also painting a vision post-2014 in ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 13:30
'Mario Tennis Open' Opens on the Nintendo 3DS
On May 20th "Mario Tennis Open" goes online, offering fierce on-the-go 3D tennis matches by way of the Nintendo 3DS.
ABC News | 20-May-2012 13:02
Obama in Chicago for NATO Summit
President Barack Obama is in his home town of Chicago, Illinois, where he will host leaders of the 28 trans-atlantic allies for the NATO summit beginning Sunday. Mr. Obama arrived in Chicago after discussions with leaders of the Group of 8 major developed economies in Camp David, Maryland. That G8 summit covered the Eurozone debt crisis, the Arab Spring and Syria, energy security and oil prices, food security, and Afghanistan, the key focus of the NATO summit. NATO leaders, along ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 07:59
Mark Zuckerberg Marries Priscilla Chan
Facebook CEO weds his college sweetheart in a backyard ceremony.
ABC News | 20-May-2012 04:04
Rights Group Accuses Egyptian Military of Torture
An international human rights group has accused Egypt's military of beating and torturing protesters arrested during a huge rally near the Defense Ministry in Cairo earlier this month. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Saturday soldiers fired tear gas and water cannon at thousands of demonstrators demanding an immediate end to military rule and arrested some 350 people as part of its crackdown on the protests. Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director for ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 03:57
Activists Protest G8 Summit
THURMONT, Maryland - As U.S. President Barack Obama finished meetings with leaders from the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations and African heads of state at the Camp David retreat in Maryland, demonstrations erupted in nearby towns. The protesters involved regulars of the Occupy movement as well as anti-government Ethiopian activists. Several hundred Ethiopian activists came from across the United States to protest meetings involving Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 01:50
Blind Chinese Activist Thanks US, China
Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has arrived in the United States, saying he is gratified that the Chinese government showed "restraint and calm" in dealing with his situation. Chen also thanked the United States for giving him refuge at the U.S. embassy in Beijing and for making it possible for him to leave China and allowing him to live and study in the United States. Chen made his remarks outside the New York University late Saturday, shortly after arriving at ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 00:50
G8 Summit Ends with Consensus on Eurozone Reforms
WHITE HOUSE - U.S. President Barack Obama says the leaders of the world’s biggest economies are beginning to agree that more jobs and more growth will help reverse Europe’s economic crisis. The president spoke Saturday at the end of the Group of Eight economic summit. After two days of talks at the Camp David presidential retreat outside Washington, Obama said the eight leaders acknowledge that budget cuts alone will not restore Europe’s economy. “And there is now an ...
voanews.com | 20-May-2012 00:04
Olympic Flame Tours Britain, Ireland
The Olympic Flame for the London 2012 Summer Games is now on a 70 day journey around Britain and Ireland. Early Saturday, the first torchbearer set off from western England before a crowd of well- wishers. The Olympic flame arrived in Britain from Greece on Friday, escorted by Princess Anne. Soccer star David Beckham lit a ceremonial torch on the flame's arrival at the Royal Naval Air Station at Culdrose, England. Some 8,000 torchbearers will carry the symbolic ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 23:05
3 Charged with Terrorism Ahead of NATO Summit
Three protesters, arrested amid tight security ahead of the NATO summit in Chicago, have been charged with terrorism for possession of explosive devices. The three were arrested Wednesday, and police said they were being held for a hearing Saturday. Six others arrested at the same time were released Friday. Supporters of the three say the suspicious equipment was just part of a beer-making kit. Officials from more than 50 countries are convening for the two-day NATO summit ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 22:43
Venezuela's Chavez Breaks Post-Treatment Silence
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has broken a week-long silence following his recent cancer therapy treatment. Chavez told state TV by phone Friday that he is working eight hours daily, following his diet and resting. The Socialist leader returned from his latest radiation treatment in Cuba eight days ago, but he has yet to disclose details about his condition. Chavez began treatments in March following operations in February and last June to remove tumors from his pelvic ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 21:50
Obama Urges Congress to Support Financial Reform
U.S. President Barack Obama is urging Congress to support the financial reforms that he began enacting three years ago as part of efforts to protect consumers from what he called the "breathtaking irresponsibility" of some on Wall Street. In his weekly address, Obama accused some congressional Republicans and lobbyists of "waging an all-out battle" to delay and dismantle his reform provisions. Obama cited reforms that include requiring financial institutions to ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 21:38
Burma's Suu Kyi to Address British Parliament
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will give a historic speech to both houses of Britain's parliament next month when she makes her first trip outside the country in 24 years. British Prime Minister David Cameron invited the Nobel Peace Prize winner to come to Britain when he visited her in Burma in April. Aung San Suu Kyi has been given the rare honor of addressing the joint houses of Britain's parliament, even though she is not a head of state. She is ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 21:27
G8 Leaders Vow to Promote Economic Growth
Leaders of the G8 highly industrialized countries say promoting growth and jobs is their "imperative" as they seek to reinvigorate their economies in the face of the European debt crisis. In a statement Saturday, the Group of Eight leaders also expressed their desire for Greece to remain in the eurozone and respect its commitments. The debt-ridden nation could abandon the euro to escape austerity measures, or be forced out if it fails to meet its obligations. The G8 ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 21:07
Solar Eclipse Visible This Weekend
If you live in a band across the southwestern United States , twilight will seem to come early on Sunday afternoon, well before the sun actually sets.
ABC News | 19-May-2012 18:36
NATO Protestors Rally in Chicago
CHICAGO - Though the NATO Summit starts May 20, protestors are already filling the streets of the host city, Chicago. Friday was originally supposed to be the opening day protest rally of the G8 meeting in the city. What started out as an organized, permitted rally against economic injustice led by National Nurses United in Chicago's Daley Plaza ended as a disorganized, unpermitted march by Occupy Wall Street protestors through the financial heart of the city. But in a show ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 17:40
Suicide Bombing Hits Troubled Afghan Province
At least nine people are dead in the latest suicide bombing to strike Afghanistan' eastern Khost province. Provincial officials say the bomber blew himself up at a police checkpoint in the Ali Sher district Saturday, not far from the border with Pakistan. The officials said some of the victims included local civilians who had been meeting with police. At least four other people were wounded. The attack comes as world leaders prepare for a NATO summit ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 17:22
Thousands Mark Thailand Red Shirt Crackdown
BANGKOK - Tens of thousands of pro-government “Red Shirt” supporters took to the streets of Bangkok Saturday on the second anniversary of deadly clashes between protestors and security forces that left over 90 people dead. Divisions are emerging between protestors and the government over a proposed amnesty bill that is intended to foster national reconciliation. Buddhist monks in prayer led day-long ceremonies in central Bangkok two years after a crackdown by security forces ended ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 16:48
Syrian Situation Impacts Lebanese Tourism
Two Gulf Arab states are telling their citizens to leave Lebanon. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Saturday called for their citizens in Lebanon to return home and for any citizens thinking about visiting Lebanon not to go. State news agencies cited clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian groups in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli. At least 8 people have been killed in sporadic clashes in Tripoli over the past week, sparking fears that ongoing fighting in Syria could ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 16:07
Syria Blames Terrorists for Car Bombing
A car-bomb exploded outside a Syrian state security compound in the eastern oasis town of Deir el-Zour Saturday, killing nine people and wounding dozens. Syrian TV accused terrorists of the blast, which appears to have been the second major attack against a government security building in just under 10 days. The explosion took place in the parking lot of a government military and air force intelligence compound in the oasis city near the Iraqi border. Relatives of victims sobbed as ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 16:00
SpaceX Launch Aborted at Last Moment
It was to have been the dawn of a new era, private companies launching into space and on to the International Space Station. The first such launch was set for before dawn this morning, and it came tantalizingly close. But the SpaceX rocket never got...
ABC News | 19-May-2012 15:54
How-To Video Site Gets Polished
Howcast.com, a website of how-to videos, has just launched a new design, and reports its videos have now had a billion viewings.
ABC News | 19-May-2012 14:48
G8 Leaders Discuss European Debt Crisis
Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrialized countries are focusing on Europe's economic turmoil Saturday as they meet for the second day of their annual economic summit. Hosting the summit at the Camp David presidential retreat near Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama is pressing his fellow G8 leaders from Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia to consider a growth agenda as they discuss how to tackle the mounting debt that has threatened the ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 13:39
Blind Chinese Activist En Route to US
Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng and his family have left China on a flight headed for the United States. The departure of the blind activist marks the end of a month-long diplomatic tussle between the two nations that followed Chen's escape from house arrest. Chen, his wife and their two children obtained their passports at Beijing's international airport, shortly before boarding a United Airlines flight. The flight is due to land at Newark airport, just outside ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 12:44
SpaceX Rocket Launch Aborted
A technical problem has forced the company SpaceX to abort what would have been the first launch of a privately owned capsule to the International Space Station. The pre-dawn launch of the Dragon Capsule from Cape Canaveral, Florida was scrubbed half a second before it was to occur on Saturday. Initial plans are to try again Tuesday morning. The capsule is on a long, thin white rocket owned by SpaceX. It is carrying supplies for the International Space Station. ...
voanews.com | 19-May-2012 12:23